Meet the Concord mayoral candidates

Concord Mayor Jim Bouley is facing two challengers in the Nov. 5 election.

John Cook, ran against Bouley in 2011 and earned 15 percent of the vote, is running again this year. The third candidate is Chris Booth, a former U.S. Senate candidate who decided to run after the city council voted to acquire an armored BearCat vehicle.

Chris Booth decided to run for mayor after Mayor Jim Bouley and 10 city councilors voted to accept a federal grant to purchase an armored BearCat vehicle. Booth, a 65-year-old retired engineer, said the issue was a “cut-and-dry case” because dozens of people spoke out against the vehicle at a public hearing, and more than 1,500 residents submitted a petition …

As Jim Bouley campaigns for a fourth term as Concord’s mayor, he talks of the city’s financial health, emphasizing its five consecutive balanced budgets and its strong bond ratings despite an economic downturn. The city council is now in a position, he said, to choose between a number of competing interests and potential projects. Among those projects, he said in …

John Cook thinks Concord needs to hit the pause button on capital spending. Before moving forward with any projects, the mayoral candidate said, the city should do more research and make sure there is enough money. “Get in that foxhole, make sure before you stick your head up you’re not drawing fire,” Cook said of his approach to city projects. …